Erik Mulheim
by Christine Writer
Summary: Takes place 17 years after the Phantom disappears. Christine and Raoul have a 15 year old daughter named Emily.


Disclaimer: I don't own any part of "Phantom of the Opera."

Erik Mulheim

Many know the world famous story involving a young soprano named Christine, her lover Raoul de Chagny, and the mysterious Phantom of the Opera. But very few know the incredible tale of what happened after the Phantom disappeared that night in the labyrinth beneath the opera house.

"Mama!" a young woman, perhaps fifteen, rushed to greet her mother as she came through the door after a long day at the opera. "What is it, _ma chere_?" Christine replied, embracing her daughter."A package arrived today, Mama," Emily said. "A package for you." She hurried to get it. Emilyreturned with a small package. Christine saw a single word on the package, in English—_URGENT!_—and opened it hurriedly. As the paper fell away from the contents, Christine gasped. It was a music box with a monkey holding cymbals atop!

"Why can't he leave us be?" Christine gasped. "Who, Mama?" inquired Emily. "No one, dearest." Christine replied absentmindedly. She was deep in thought. There was a note in the package.

Christine—

I am dying. I must see you, and you must forgive me. I am sorry for the events of seventeen years ago. Come to the Opera—to the lake. I will be waiting, _Ma Chere_.

Erik

Christine was perplexed. Should she go and see him, if he was indeed dying? Or was it a desperate trick to kidnap her? She knew not which. Raoul was in danger of dying as well. He was very ill, and could not go with her to defend her if need be. Yet Christine almost felt sorry for Erik. He was alone in the world.

Christine made up her mind. Raoul would have no knowledge of it, and she would simply have to be careful. There were nurses to care for Raoul, and she could trust Emily to help her if something happened.

"I never told you this," Christine began telling Emily the story. "But there is an important part of my past that I have never related to you. I need to now. When I became a star at the opera, there was a man that lived beneath the opera, by the lake. He has a disfigured face and he once tried to kidnap me. Your father defended me and Erik—that is the man's name—tried to kill him. We survived, escaped, the opera house burned down, and Erik disappeared. The package today was from him.

"Erik wants to see me. He sends word in this package that he is ill and wishes to see me. I want to see him, but I am worried he will attempt to take me away. I need you to promise me that when I go see him, you must follow me to the new opera house and wait for twenty minutes. If I do not return, come after me and ask for the old ballet mistress, Madame Giry. Tell her Christine Daee sent you in search of Erik. She will help you."Emily nodded. "I will do as you say, Mama." she said solemnly.

That evening, Emily and Christine went to the new opera house. Madame Giry smiled when she saw Christine. "Erik is waiting, dear. You know the way." she said. "If I am gone for more than twenty minutes, please show Emily the way." Christine said.

Christinewent into her dressing room, through the glass, and down to the lake. She immediately saw Erik. He was sitting by the lake. "Christine!" he called to her. She shook her head. "Madame de Chagny, then!" he called. She sat next to him.

"I was hoping your husband would come." Erik said. "Raoul is well, is he not?" Christine didn't answer. "I was hoping I could apologize to both of you." Erik said. "I am so sorry for that whole night, Christine."

"I am too, Erik. I loved you once, I suppose, but not in that particular way." Christine admitted. "I only loved you as a friend. You frightened me when you almost killed Raoul."

"I frightened myself, too." Erik admitted. "I was obsessed with you—and it was wrong. You are not mine, and I have accepted that."

"Oh, Erik….." Christine whispered. "That's a good thing."

"It's just that you are the only one besides Madame Giry who has ever had compassion on me." Erik said. "You two were the only people to ever come close to me without fear or disgust." Christine truly felt sorry for him. "I know." she whispered. "Erik, I know." "You will not come with me if I ask, will you?" Erik queried. "No, I will not. I am married to Raoul, and you cannot take me." came the reply. "Please, Christine!" Erik begged. "Please, come with me! I cannot live without you any longer—I will die!"

"Erik," Christine said. "I may have loved you once, for a moment, but you betrayed my trust and nearly killed my fiancé. And I am married to him now. Please, Erik. Don't try to take me. It will only cause suffering for everyone again, plus my daughter, Emily."

"You have a daughter, Christine?" Erik asked. "Yes." Christine replied. "She is fifteen. Please, Erik. Do not entertain thoughts of kidnapping me. I have a daughter, and a husband."

Erik took her delicate wrist in his hand. Instinctively, she pulled away. Erik's face was a mixture of hurt and disappointment. "You still cannot trust me to even touch you?" he asked.

"No, Erik. I cannot." Christine replied. She took Raoul's pocket watch, which she always carried these days, from her pocket and checked the time. It had been fifteen minutes already. "I must go, Erik!" Christine said. "The Vicompte controls you and your time, now?" he said spitefully. "Erik, please!" Christine cried.

"You will come with me, won't you?" Erik snarled. "No!" Christine cried. Erik snatched her wrist and dragged her towards the lake. He pushed her into a waiting boat and navigated the boat down a stream leading to the river outside. "Christine, this is how I escaped that night, and now we will escape together and you can forget your husband and daughter."

"Erik, please, take me back!" Christine pleaded as they came to the river. "No." Erik said quietly. "You will come with me, and we will be happy together. Imagine it, Christine!" he said, growing more excited by the moment. "We can go to England, and from there to America! I have a friend who will get us to Chicago without going to that dreadful Ellis Island!"

"Erik, stop! I cannot go to America with you. You have forgotten that I am married and we can never be so." Christine cried. She wished to dive into the water and find her way away from Erik, but the water, she knew, was freezing cold.

"Christine, be silent!" Erik said coldly. "Forget Raoul and Emily. Shall I sing to you?" "No! You cannot sing to me and expect me to be beguiled into seeing past your horrific deeds!" Christine cried out. "Take me back! Madame Giry shall not be so understanding this time. Seventeen years ago, she protected you. Now, she is on my side, and she will send people to find us now!"

Erik looked at her, hurt, and then began rowing even faster. His strong arms propelled the boat along the river quickly. Christine decided she would have to risk catching cold and jumped into the water. She began to swim to shore, but Erik caught her by the wrist and hauled her back into the boat. He threw a heavy but warm blanket over her. "You will come with me to America, Christine! You must love me, as I love you!" Erik whispered fiercely.

"Please, Erik," Christine pleaded. "Turn me loose on the bank and escape to America. Please don't make me come with you."

At the Hospitalier de Paris, a nurse checked on Raoul. "_C'est miracle!_ A miracle!" she gasped. There was absolutely no sign of illness! "God must have another purpose for this man!" the nurse said.

After being discharged the next morning, he went home. Emily ran to the door expectantly, and burst into tears the moment she saw it was her father. "What is it, sweet Emily?" Raoul asked, searching her tear-streaked face. She spilled out the whole story. "Madame Giry called the police, but we could not find them!" she cried.

Raoul took Emily to the opera house. They descended to the labyrinth and found Christine's gloves by the lake. They pointed to where the boat had gone. "They went in his boat." Raoul realized. They found another boat, and followed the trail. They found a large piece of Christine's skirt stuck to the wet wall leading to the river. "They came this way." Raoul said. He rowed faster, and Emily helped. His strength was not as strong as it would have been if he had not been ill.

Further down the river, it forked. There was another piece of Christine's skirt stuck to show them the way. It led to a small cove, where they found the boat. They had been taken away on another boat. "He must mean to take her to England--or even America!" Raoul gasped, worried about Christine.

At that moment, Christine was thinking about Raoul. "Please, Erik." she pleaded again. "Do not do this. If you really love me, you will let me live in peace." They were about to board a boat bound for America. "Christine, I love you and you must be with me!" Erik said. "I love you!"

"No," Christine said, tears springing to her eyes. "No. You don't love me. If you loved me, then you would leave me and my family alone. Yet you persist in taking me away from those who truly love me. Why, Erik? Why?"

"Soon, my darling Christine, we will be aboard a ship bound for New York. I have a connection to get us past Ellis Island. I would never be allowed in through the legal gate, and you would be recognized instantly." Erik said. "We don't want that, do we? You will learn to love me as much as I love you."

He helped her down from the cart, and she attempted to get the attention of a police officer. None were to be had, and they began to walk toward the place where they would board. "Christine!" someone cried. It was Raoul and Emily!

"Monsieur, mademoiselle, watch your step." Erik warned, drawing a pistol quickly. Christine took a deep, ragged breath. "One step, monsieur, and your life is over." Erik warned. "Erik, don't do this!" Christine pleaded. "Please, monsieur!" Emily pleaded as well. He shifted his gaze to Emily. "One step from either of you and you will both die!" Erik warned.

Raoul reached for his pistol. Erik aimed, and just as he fired at Raoul, Christine shielded Raoul with her own body and took the bullet in her chest. "Christine!" Erik gasped. "Erik…….why? Why?" Christine whispered in pain as a crowd formed. Someone had gone to get the police. "Raoul……" she whispered. "I…I love….you….." she rested her head on the cobblestones and drew her last breath. Erik caressingly scooped up Christine's now limp body.

"Who shot that gun?" a police officer demanded when he reached the scene. "Officer…..I—" Erik began, but Raoul cut him off. "It was an accident, Officer. Nothing but an accident." Raoul said. He placed a hand on Erik's shoulder. The masked man pulled away from Raoul, and said quietly, "Officer, it was I who shot Madame. She was betwixt me and my target."

"But, Erik…." Raoul protested. Erik shook his head sadly. "I need to take responsibility for my actions." Raoul was impressed that Erik would take responsibility for Christine's death. There were witnesses, and there was no doubt he would be sentenced to death.

"Come, monsieur." The officer handcuffed Erik and led him away.

"Erik Mulheim has been sentenced to hang, for the murder of the Vicomptess Christine de Chagny." The news was all over Paris in moments, it seemed. Raoul and Emily knelt in the chapel at the prison. They prayed for Erik, and went to see him. "It is better this way." Erik said. "I killed your wife, Raoul! Are you not angry at me?"

"At first, I was. But you, like anyone, deserve God's forgiveness. Will you accept him into your heart?" Raoul told Erik. Emily sat on the dingy floor of the prison. She was weeping openly. "How do you do it?" asked Erik. "Repeat after me." Raoul instructed. Erik nodded. "Heavenly Father, I believe you died upon the cross at Calvary for my transgressions. Forgive me for my transgressions, and come into my heart. Amen." Raoul said, and Erik repeated the simple prayer. "Is the prisoner ready?" asked a guard, approaching the cell. "Wait!" Raoul cried. "Is it possible for this man to be released?"

"Only a Vicompte could swing that one!" the guard laughed roughly. "I am the Vicompte Raoul de Chagny, and I demand this prisoner be released." Raoul declared. "Yes sir!" the guard said. "He will be held here. You may go to thePresident and request a pardon."

Raoul and Emily went to see thePresident on the spot. "Do not fret, Emily. My father and thePresident were good friends." Raoul reassured his daughter. Raoul spilled out the entire tale, from start to finish to the president. "You want this man released after he killed your wife?" his father's friend was baffled. "If you wish it!" Erik was released, and worked for many years for the Vicompte.

Raoul never remarried. When Emily was twenty, she married a respectable young man. Raoul was killed in a boat accident that same year, and Erik treated Emily like a daughter. He died at the age of 65 in 1909. He never married.

And what of Emily and her husband, you may ask? That, my friends, is another story altogether.


End file.
